


Who is he to you?

by mee4ever



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Flirting, Human Derek Hale, M/M, Mystery, POV Derek Hale, Twin Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 10:30:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10919997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mee4ever/pseuds/mee4ever
Summary: "I’m sorry, I’m making you really uncomfortable, do you want me to leave?” Stephen asks after delivering a pickup line so bad he himself twisted in his seat.“Look, Stephen,” Derek manages to say and Stephen’s face drops. “I don’t mean to be rude, but this is just not appropriate and I think we both know this is just not… happening.” It’s odd to have to say it, Stephen should know this already.“I’m not Stephen,” Stephen says, confusing Derek further.Or the one where Derek is chatted up by an associate, only to realise that it's not actually the person he knows.





	Who is he to you?

**Author's Note:**

> Completely unbeta'd one-shot.

Derek is very good at pretending. It is his least favourite activity that he partakes in every day and it comes as easily to him as breathing, but he _hates_ doing it. Which is why, when Stephen Stilinski sits down at his table with a “mind if I?”, he is conflicted to keep his act or let Stephen see the real Derek. He finds himself in a middle path, one where he tells Stephen yes, but he doesn’t smile, doesn’t start up conversation.

He just wanted breakfast and coffee, not having to be Derek Hale, for just one morning. Fuck you, said the universe and here he is. The only thing is, Stephen doesn’t act like Stephen does when Derek usually meets him; no, here in this shitty little coffee shop, he’s actually somewhat pleasant. He talks about the place and that he comes here all the time but he has never seen Derek here before and Derek doesn’t really _have_ to join the conversation although it _feels_ like he’s a part of it anyway. It is strange, Stephen has never before been this… comfortable around Derek and despite this premises being way less uptight than when they normally would meet, it still throws Derek a slight bit off his game. He has never seen Stephen be _cheeky_ before and suddenly it makes him uncomfortable, because he’s kinda into this version of him. And when he realises that Stephen is definitely flirting with him, he doesn’t know what to do with himself and he wonders why Stephen thought it was a good idea to do that when he _knows_ how just not good it is? Derek’s surprised too because Stephen has never even looked at him twice before and now he’s _really_ flaking it out there like Derek’s the hottest person on earth. He does it good though, he manages to make Derek both blush and laugh despite himself and he doesn’t even have to fake it. But it’s not gonna happen, however much Derek might actually find this new side of Stephen intriguing, there’s no way they’re ever gonna…

“I’m sorry, I’m making you really uncomfortable, do you want me to leave?” Stephen asks after delivering a pickup line so bad he himself twisted in his seat.

“Look, Stephen,” Derek manages to say and Stephen’s face drops. “I don’t mean to be rude, but this is just not appropriate and I think we both know this is just not… happening.” It’s odd to have to say it, Stephen should know this already.

“I’m not Stephen,” Stephen says, confusing Derek further.

He arches a brow and asks, “What did you say?”

Stephen scratches the back of his head as he says again, “I’m not Stephen. I’m Stiles.”

“What the hell is a ‘stiles’?”

“Dude, that’s my name your bashing right there.  Here, lemme…” and he brings out his phone, tapping a couple of times before holding out the screen for Derek to see. Derek leans forward and looks at the picture, which contains two Stephens holding each other’s shoulders. One of them is smiling, Stephen no doubt, and one of them is laughing his ass off, this ‘Stiles’ no doubt either.

“That’s me to the right,” says not-Stephen, confirming Derek’s initial conclusion. When Stiles pulls his phone back, Derek sits up straight and tries to process this information. Okay, so, not Stephen. Brother of, but not Stephen. That’s… actually a lot better and makes more sense.

“Who is Stephen to you?” Stiles asks, but when Derek looks at him, he doesn’t look like he asked Derek the question but rather himself. He holds his head between his thumb and index finger, chewing on his long finger and he _regards_ Derek, more intently so than when he tried flirting with him. It’s scrutinising and Derek looks away. “He’s obviously someone you’re not really _allowed_ to date, which generally means there’s a power imbalance. Your teacher, your superior, your doctor, your shrink. Now, I know my brother can only be one of those things and I’m not entirely sure he fits in that category anyway. It could also be rivalry, he works on a different place that has the same focus as you do, you could be on different sides of a court case, but then again you’re close enough to be on a first name basis so you could… have fucked him already. Did you fuck my brother?”

“ _No,”_ Derek says and he does not mean to sound so distressed about it, but he has never had any desire to sleep with Stephen. Until a couple of minutes ago, will say. “Alright,” Stiles says, “hooker, ex and misguided gay exploration out of the way.”

“What?” Derek doesn’t know if he should be offended.

Stiles ignores him and carries on. “You could just be colleagues. Which makes me think, that he should _know_ that you’re already seeing someone. Are you seeing someone?”

Derek hasn’t seen anyone in five years. “Ehm, no,” he only says.

“Mystery continues,” Stiles says and claps his hands together. Derek could just tell him but to be completely honest he finds this rather interesting too. He quite likes this Stilinski. “Who else are you not allowed to date? He could be the boss’ kid, but I really hope not because then _I_ , unfortunately, am too. He could… he could already be involved with someone in your family. Or… have been? What’s your name?”

Derek’s stomach drops but he ignores it. “Hale,” he says, “Derek Hale.” And it doesn’t stir anything in Stiles’ face, at least not more than a confirmation that he _doesn't_ know the name.

“Okay, so no prior relationships with a Hale either,” Stiles confirms. “This is starting to heat _up._ ” He cracks a smile at Derek and despite it making Derek want to smile back, he only raises an eyebrow to challenge him to figure it out.

“You must have spent some amount of time with him or around him because you’re clearly not attracted to him,” Stiles says then but he has a smirk on his lips like he just _knows_ Derek is attracted to _him._ And Derek _is_ attracted to Stiles, however strange he finds that, so he doesn’t say anything and he only cocks his head.

“You’re good,” Stiles says with a laugh, pointing a finger at him. “Almost could've fooled me.” Derek has no idea what he’s talking about so he stays quiet. “Okay, focus,” Stiles tells himself. “What have we got? No intimate or otherwise personal relationship of any sort, present or prior, not a superior of any kind, not your medical anything, he’s not your teacher despite being one and I don’t think you’re colleagues because I know most of them and I’d remembered and hit on a face like yours already. Maybe _you’re_ the boss’ kid. But you don’t have the right vibe. Maybe you’re _his_ medical something. No. I think you’re connected elsewhere. Tell me, did you by any chance happen to be college buds? Because I didn't have much contact with my brother back then and you would have easily slipped through my fingers. That would also mean you work as a professor at another high valued university and that you possibly see each other every once in awhile at conferences. I'm not entirely sure why you wouldn't be _allowed_ to date in this scenario but it’s the best I’ve got.”

Derek takes a breath to tell him but Stiles interrupts.

“Or wait,” he says and he sits up before leaning over the table. “Hale? Right? As in the Hale Foundation? That would make you the lone heir of a fortune, which means you’re the number one investor in Stephen's school. Which in turn means you _would_ meet him at social functions, but _you_ would be _his,_ maybe not superior, but… well, not _appropriate_ dating material. You can’t get involved with someone within the realm.”

“Wow,” Derek says and Stiles' face lights up.

“Did I get it right?” he asks with a sort of childish glee, like he just solved a mystery in a book _before_ the big reveal. It’s probably the first time anyone has looked at Derek and known who he is and thought something other than his money was more interesting. Derek wonders if he can keep this man forever.

“Yeah,” Derek says, “yeah, on pretty much every charge. Do you… do you work with this? Is this your job?” Stiles was just a little too good at this for it to be casual.

“Yeah, actually, I’m a professional creep and riddle solver.” He brings out a badge from his pocket. It says FBI. Derek is impressed and further attracted to him than he wants to admit.

“Literally get paid to solve puzzles every day.”

“Do you have a gun?” Derek asks suddenly. Stiles looks at him like he just asked how big Stiles’ dick was, and thought it was funny.

“No, man, I don't have a gun. I’m literally solving puzzles, I work with encryptions and shit, computers and all that. Very ‘in-house’.”

Derek thinks he sounds pretentious, and so far, nothing else about him has felt anywhere near that. “Are you a hired hacker?” he asks.

“C’mon now, that’s a very degrading term.” Derek raises an eyebrow. “Yes,” Stiles sighs, “yes, I’m partly a hired hacker.”

“That’s sexier than a gun. I don't like guns.”

Stiles’ mouth falls open. “Was that an attempt to flirt? Because let me tell you: I’m totally into that whole ‘right to the point’ rather than tiptoeing around it.” Derek shrugs, feeling out of his element. Stiles takes it as a ‘yes’.

“Have dinner with me,” he says, amber eyes locked to Derek’s and Derek twists in his seat.

“I haven’t…” he starts and looks away. “I haven't had dinner in a long time.”

“Then we should go to this pizza buffet down on my street, you eat all you want for like twelve bucks.” He grins when Derek sneaks a peek at him. And Derek tries to find a reason to tell him no, but his mind just keeps coming up with reasons to say yes. Stiles nods at him, almost encouraging, like he says ‘it’s okay to say yes’, like he already knows Derek is questioning just that; which he is. So Derek nods.

**Author's Note:**

> No, there won't be more. Pls don't ask.


End file.
